Disclaimer: See previous five chapters. Good luck to your sanity. And I don't own the song Half Life.

A/N: I am updating! Hehehe, this is fun! Did you like to previous chapter? I hope you did. I'm really sory if Draco is OOC, but he's nicer this year, right? I just adapted the song by the way. Can anyone get me the full lyrics to half life? It's my fave song.

Upcoming fic: A Love I Can't Share. And it's also HG/DM! Look for it under PG 13, DM/HG pairing, romance. I think you'll like it! I'll start after this fic.

Dedicated to myself, and ALL the reviewers from today and backwards. Give yourselves a round of applause!

Be nice and review ~~~~~~ I love those "~" things. ^ ~, OOH~ (~.) (~~.) (~~,) I AM ADDICTED!!!! Shenakanan. TAE!

AFTER A TIME…NOVEMBER TWENTY

HERMIONE

After hurriedly scribbling an entry, Hermione smiled, and tucked the diary into its safe haven, under Crookshanks' basket. "Poor Crooks," she cooed, scooping the squashy creature into her arms. "Mummy's been ignoring you, hasn't she?"

Crookshanks mewed pitifully.

Absentmindedly, she stroked the fur on his head, humming a song she'd loved since her younger days. She wasn't aware that she was singing either.

Lately, I need to see the daylight,

I feel that I have no life,

Don't you see I'm breaking apart?

Oh lately, something here don't feel right.

Is this just a half life?

Is there really no escape, no escape from time?

I just wanna fall in love.

C'mon let's fall in love.

Inspired, she stood up, and got her violin. She tuned it, wincing at the sound of screeching notes. Hermione hated tuning instruments. A sleek voice spoke up. "Let me help you with that."

She looked up. It was Draco, leaning casually against the doorway.

"All right."

He walked over, and took the wooden instrument from her, his face calm as he tuned the dratted thing. He handed it back to her, but Hermione pushed it back. "I'd like to hear you play."

"Is that a command?" He smirked in a friendly way.

"Please?"

"Fine." He lifted it to his chin and began playing a difficult piece. Hermione recognized it to be the Devil's Trill, the hardest violin piece ever.

Beautiful, sad notes filled the room as Draco expertly moved the bow across the strings.

Amazed that Draco could even play that well, she hummed gently to the tune, and when he stopped, she pushed it back again. "Can you play the whole piece? Please?"

Draco flashed a mysterious half-smile and kept on playing. When the song was over, she clapped. "I didn't know you were so good." Absentmindedly, she put rosin on the bow, and tucked it back into the violin case.

"I did tell you that I used to play. Until…you know."

"Oh."

"You don't sing so bad yourself you know," he teased. Hermione ruffled Draco's hair. "I used to be in a choir. Then I switched to instrumentalist."

Draco glanced at his watch. "I gotta go. Head Boy duties. See you around." He waved and left the room. Hermione sighed. She didn't like running over to Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's Common Rooms, but it was her job.

~~~ Later…

Hermione exited the Hufflepuff Common Room, hidden under a bed in a bedchamber on the fifth floor.

It was a long way to the Gryffindor Common Room, and she panted against the portrait frame. The Fat Lady cleared her throat.

"Password?" The Fat Lady was in a new dress, but it was still pink.

"Dominus en pluribem. I see you have a new dress, my lady." The Fat lady granted her a haughty smile. "I asked for it." Then she swung open, letting Hermione enter the Gryffindor Common Room.

Hermione was there because as a Head Girl, it was her duty to post notices on the board. This one was about an upcoming wizard's chess tournament, sponsored by Ravenclaw. She glanced at her watch while she came in. Five in the evening. I'm probably the only one in here. She was wrong.

While posting the notice, she was interrupted by a lone moan. "Harry- ah… oh my god…"

She whirled around, and didn't know whether to get mad or laugh.

Cho.

Harry.

Oh dear.

Who would have believed it?

Silently, she glided out of the Common Room, trying not to giggle. Moans followed her out of the room, and she glared at the Fat Lady. "Why did you let me see that?"

"Oh dear," the Fat Lady smiled, "You've been too…too…I don't now. Distracted? Now run off and go to wherever you where going."

~~~ Later…

DRACO

In the Library, Hermione burst into laughter, uncontrolled laughter that made her sides seem to split. Madame Pince wouldn't hear her, she was too far away from the table.

Someone came behind her, and asked in a teasing tone, "Why are you laughing?"

"H-h-hi D-Dra-co. I-I-ha!" She started laughing again. Draco sat beside her, an amused look on his face. She told him everything, how Harry and Cho had been…you know.

An evil look came over his face, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Hmm… Potter and Chang snogging in the Common Room. If that can make you laugh, then will this make you laugh?"

He pounced on her, his hands tickling her. Hermione squealed and tried to get away from Draco, but he was too heavy.

"Stop-tick-ling-me!"

"Only if you say that you're a know-it-all brat!" Draco sneered, singsong.

"All right!" She squealed something and Draco tickled her harder. "I can't hear you?"

"I-am-a spoi- spoiled- br- brat!"

"Draco Malfoy is the Prince of Slytherin!"

"D-Dra-Draco-Ma-Malfoy is-is- the Prince of Sly-Slytherin!"

"Ha!" Draco got off Hermione, who sighed and wiped tears from her merry face with the back of her palm, and suddenly jumped on Draco. "Gotcha!"

Now Draco was the one laughing, and it seemed out of character for him. "No fair!"

"Who's talking?" She stopped tickling him and sighed, leaning against his broad chest. He found himself draping his arms around her, playing with her hands. Draco glanced over Hermione. "You been eating, haven't you?"

She was slim again, a flush was in her cheeks, and a light played in her eyes.

"Of course. I don't know what I was thinking." Hermione seemed to gaze into space, pondering.

Draco broke off the silence. "You miss them, don't you?" He soon found himself wishing he hadn't said that.

Tears leaked gently out of Hermione's eyes, but they weren't in torrents. Just soft, and gently.

"I'm sorry-"

She stopped Draco. "No, it's all right. I do want to talk about it." She let Draco take her slender fingers in his while she talked, mostly to herself, about her family.

Hermione was an only child, Draco found out. They had been very loving, and warm. And she really did miss them.

"You know, Hermione, it would be better if you let it all go past you. Things work out better that way." She seemed to know how he felt.

"You probably miss your mum also?"

"Yeah. She was so much better than my dad." A dead look probably came over his eyes, because for one second Hermione looked alarmed. But then her look was soft again.

"Look," Draco began, "I've been meaning to ask you this. Would you like to go to the Yule with me? As a friend? I certainly don't have anyone to go with." She's going to laugh. She's going to say no. Please say yes? I'm so alone, I need a companion. She's going to say no, she's going to say no, she going to say no.

Hermione smiled a genuine smile. "I'd love to."

Draco smiled back, relieved and pleased. "Great!"

They stayed in that position for a while, with Hermione leaning against Draco, but he spoke up again. "We can't stay like this you know."

Hermione sighed. "Yeah. We've both got reps to keep up, don't we?"

"Certainly. Until the Yule then, my friend."

She placed a cool hand to his cheek. "Until the Yule." And she got up and left Draco behind. He shivered, putting a hand to a certain spot on his cheek.

HERMIONE

~~ her diary ~~

Dear Diary,

It sounds so weird, doesn't it? I feel so strange. Draco asked me to the ball. There, I said (wrote) it again. I still don't know how we got to be so close this year. He's so different, diary!

And so handsome. Ick, I can't believe I wrote that. But he is. The way his platinum blond hair looks just right, his chiseled face, his mysterious and alluring smile are enough to make you scream. Dear, I almost sound as if I fancied him. Can you imagine the Prince of Slytherin and the Gryffindor Genius together? I can't.

But he's changing, diary. For the better.

Now, I'm going to go and get Ginny to go with me to Hogsmeade. I don't have a decent dress to wear!

Until then,

Hermione.

A/N: Are you happy? Well, read the next chapter. Luvs and kizzez.